How to Elope in New York City | From Marriage License to Apostille

Elope in NYC
How to get married in New York City

So you are thinking about getting married in New York City. First of all, brilliant idea! There is no better place in the world than to elope in the ‘Big Apple’. NYC is full of love, life, skyscrapers, yellow cabs, bagels, squirrels, parks, bridges, art, lox, architecture and honking. Lots of honking.

How to get married in New York: Once you have made the decision that New York is the place to get hitched, the next question usually is: HOW? Lucky for you, We have worked on hundreds of elopements and weddings in New York City. Couples usually ask the same questions about the wedding process. So to help all these couples, we wrote a little manual, with the hope that it will make your planning process a bit easier. Essentially, a step by step guide on how to elope in New York City.

So how do we get started?

First things first, all couples who intend to get married in New York must obtain a ‘Marriage License’. The fee for the license is $35, which can be paid by credit card or money order, payable to the City Clerk. This license is valid for 60 days and can be used anywhere within the state of New York. Sometimes the wait time at the City Clerk’s office can be long, so if you’d like to speed up the process you can begin filling out the application for the license online. You then have to complete the application in person at the City Clerk’s office. Make sure to bring proper identification when applying. The “Office of the City Clerk : Marriage Bureau” is located at 141 Worth Street in Manhattan. Opening hours are Monday through Friday from 8.30am to 3.45pm, except on major holidays. So make sure to check before you go. And even though you might have to wait a bit for your license at the clerk’s office, the ‘people watching’ definitely makes up for it. Relax and enjoy the hustle and bustle of this unique place.

Extra bonus tip: If you were married before, you will be asked to list all prior marriages. You are required to include your previous spouse’s full name and the date the divorce decree was granted. You also have to provide the city, state, and country where the divorce was issued.

We got our marriage license. What’s next?

Well, it’s time to get hitched then! Important: You must wait a minimum of 24 hours after obtaining your marriage license before you can have your wedding. (Unless you obtain a ‘Judicial Waiver’. We would suggest, though, to wait the 24 hours because isn’t anticipation the best after all?) Once the 24 hours have passed, Jackie can officiate your ceremony anywhere in New York.

Lets have a wedding!

With Jackie as your officiant you can get hitched 24/7, 365 days a year anywhere in the city. You would like to ‘say YES, in Central Park? No problem. You want to get hitched on the ‘Top of the Rock’? Do it! How about ‘The Highline Park’? It’s your wedding. Pick a location and have fun. Once you have figured out all the details make sure to bring your marriage license, proper identification, at least one witness (Sascha is happy to be your witness. Just let us know ahead of time so he can bring his ID) and that’s it. After the ceremony, Jackie will have you and your witness sign the marriage license and then return the paperwork to the City Clerk’s office for you. You will receive your ‘Certificate of Marriage’ in the mail within about 30 days from the wedding date.

Important: If you are coming from Europe to get married in New York you might need to obtain an ‘Apostille’. The Apostille will make your marriage legal in your home country. Not every country requires the Apostille, though. Contact us so we can tell you if your need this document or if you don’t need it.

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We hope this guide helps you when planning your New York City Elopement. If you have any other question or if you would like more information about our elopement services, please feel free to give us a call at +1.347.200.5513 (Sascha) or +1.646.456.4555 (Jackie) or send me us an email at JackieandSascha@gmail.com. We are happy to help and can’t wait to meet you. Elope in New York City, it’s the best thing ever. We know, we did it ourselves.